Eastern palace eyes 250,000 visitors by year-end

AĞRI

(DHA Photo)

Drawing history enthusiasts to Türkiye’s eastern province of Ağrı, the 18th-century Ishak Pasha Palace expects 250,000 visitors by year-end as officials launch digital projects.

Located in Doğubayazıt district at Mount Ağrı’s foothills, the complex has hosted 200,000 tourists this year. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2000, the site features the world’s first central heating. Construction started under Çolak Abdi Pasha and concluded during grandson Ishak Pasha’s era.

Blending Selçuk, Ottoman, Gothic and Baroque styles, the structure has four crown gates, eight-pointed stars, rumi patterns, ivy designs and a life tree motif with an elevated lion. “It is the Ishak Pasha Palace in the east, like the Topkapı Palace in the west,” Ağrı Culture and Tourism Director Erhan Ağrı said.

Authorities plan to introduce an audio guide by year-end while the ministry conducts restorations. The site attracts tourists from neighboring Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Nakhchivan and Armenia, drawing over 30,000 visitors in August and 25,000 in September. The monthly average recently reached 40,000.

Tour guide Ahmet Gülmez said the palace mesmerizes tourists from Australia, the U.S. and Canada. “They are fascinated when they see a grand Ottoman palace in the country’s east,” he said. The nearby Ahmed-i Hani Tomb and Old Beyazıt Mosque also serve as key historic stops.